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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Bio: Linda
S. Clare is an award-winning coauthor of three books, including Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them
(with Melody Carlson and Heather Kopp), Revealed:
Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World, and Making Peace with a Dangerous God (with Kristen Johnson Ingram).
She is also the author of The Fence My
Father Built. She has taught college-level creative writing classes for
seven years, and edits and mentors writers. She also is a frequent writing
conference presenter and church retreat leader. She and her husband of
thirty-one years have four grown children, including a set of twins. They live
in Eugene, Oregon, with their five wayward cats:
Oliver, Xena the Warrior Kitty, Paladine, Melchior, and Mamma Mia!

Welcome back, Linda. Why do you write the
kind of books you do?

My motto is “Stories of Grace for the Chronically Different.”
I write books about the marginalized, the disadvantaged and outsiders because I
have dealt with being different all my life. As a polio survivor, I’ve had my
fair share of challenges. I’m part Native American too, so American Indians’
historical struggle is one of my big interests. I also need to include my faith
in my stories, but in a way that doesn’t threaten or alienate further the ones
I’m writing about. I try to realistically portray people’s problems and their
sometimes bumpy road to God.

Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

The birth days of my four children count as joyful for me.
The last two were surprise twins. I was and am happy about it, but still kind
of in shock too. Never knew I was carrying twins. We had two names picked—one
for a boy and one for a girl. We used them both. They are each grown with their
own families now.

How has being
published changed your life?

Some of my close friends have had phenomenal success in
publishing (one member of my first critique group has now published more than
200 books) and for a long time I griped to God that it was never going to be my
turn. But I finally piggy-backed with two of my friends on a nonfiction book
and have published 5 books now. Publishing has opened up a whole world of
wonderful readers to me. I never get tired of connecting with readers. Coming
up with stories that offer hope and where readers can see the naked truth about
life’s struggles proves to me again and again that writing them is a big part
of why I’m here.

What are you reading
right now?

Aside from reading works-in-progress by several of my
critique partners, as well as the work of writers whom I mentor, I’m reading a
memoir, Little Failure by Gary
Shteyngart (Random House, 2014). It’s very witty. I also love Sarah Sundin’s historical
series as well as Ann Shorey’s historical. They are both terrific writers and
storytellers.

What is your current
work in progress?

My latest effort is called A SYMPHONY OF MOTION. It’s about
a little girl named CC who’s musically gifted but in Special Ed. She’s been so
traumatized by her dad’s departure from the family that she isn’t speaking. Her
mom leaves her with Aunt Bassett, a high school orchestra teacher who’s taken
in a boarder, Paulo “Pops” Abruzzo, a former symphony conductor in the advanced
stages of Parkinson’s disease. He’s bitter and has only his precious grand
piano left. When CC defies his command not to play the piano, his Parkinson’s
symptoms begin to disappear. Is it a true miracle or is it the power of love?

What would be your
dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be to tour the British
Isles. I’ve always wanted to go to the UK. My birthday is St. Patrick’s
Day and I’m at least part Irish, so Ireland would be exciting to visit.

How do you choose
your settings for each book?

For The Fence My
Father Built, the setting was originally Arizona where I was born and raised. But the
moment I saw Central Oregon—which is very similar to high desert in Northern
Arizona—I reconsidered and set the book in a fictional town somewhere out near
Prineville, Oregon. For A Sky without Stars, I really wanted
to showcase the beautiful state of Arizona.
Most think of it as a dry desert, but Arizona
has seven climate zones! Parts of the story take place in the desert around
1950s Phoenix (back then it was still kind of a one-horse town) but parts also
are set in Navajo country, a windswept corner of northeastern Arizona with
breathtaking rock formations as well as many, many Native Americans. And sheep!
Navajo country has lots of sheep.

If you could spend an
evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

I know this sounds nutty but I’d love to spend the day with
former Beatle Paul McCartney, just to observe his songwriting/writing process.
The creative process is fascinating to me (I hold a degree in Art and once
worked as a singer) and whether it’s art, music, dance, or writing, I love the
process of creating. I’m not a very good dancer, but in college I drew on my
poems and wrote poems on my drawings. For me, it’s all interconnected, and I
consider McCartney a master of creativity.

What are your
hobbies, besides writing and reading?

In Oregon,
you learn to love gardening. I’ve lived here 30 years and I’m still learning
the names of plants and trees that aren’t desert plants. I mean, I know my
cacti from years in the Arizona desert, but am
decidedly less aware of the names of plants which thrive in a more temperate
climate like Oregon.
The weather is rainy and people often compare my city, Eugene,
with England’s
climate. Each summer my adult son and I plant a veggie garden, and I also have
quite a flower habit. Like bookstores, I’m not really allowed in garden centers
because I buy everything. I also love working with children. I have two little
grandsons that are my joys.

I smiled at that last
sentence, because James and I spent part of yesterday with our youngest great
grandson. They are a joy. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how
do you overcome it?

Physically, I have this crummy thing called Post-polio
Syndrome which is kind of like MS or fibromyalgia. It’s caused from years of
overuse and compensation for the muscles of my back, neck, and left arm that
were paralyzed in the polio I contracted at age 8 ½ months. Yes, I type with
one hand. Perhaps my other obstacle is that I love to write lots of different
things and genres, so I’m late coming to the “branding” table. It probably
holds me back from fabulous stardom, LOL!

What advice would you
give to a beginning author?

Write. Read. Lots. Your first novel will not be likely the
first published. When you read about a new author hitting the big time, that
writer probably has more than one early attempt at a novel sitting in a drawer.
Learn everything! It does take a while to master any craft, but here’s the good
news: Writing is a craft and you can learn a craft. In my mind, there are only
two kinds of writing: writing that works and writing that needs work. I teach
novel writing, and I offer free writing tips each week on my blog. Visit me!

Tell us about the
featured book.

Can a quilt bridge the gap between two cultures?

After her husband is killed on the Pine Ridge Reservation in
South Dakota,
Frankie Chasing Bear wants a fresh start. But in 1951, relocating through the US government’s
Relocation Program didn’t just mean a new town; it meant a new way of life.
Frankie quickly learns that raising her son, Harold to revere his Lakota
heritage will be a challenge in the white man’s world. Searching for a way for
her son to respect his ancestors but also embrace a future of opportunity, she
begins a Lakota Star-pattern quilt with tribal wisdom sung, sewn, and prayed
into it—something that will not let him forget where he came from.

A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars, but
neither the quilt nor her new life come easily to Frankie. Federal Agent Nick
Parker, for instance, is the last man Frankie wants to trust. She’s already
struggling to understand Nick’s culture; how can she embrace his Christian
faith? Will Frankie learn that love is the most important ingredient for her
son’s quilt—and life itself?

Please give us the
first page of the book.

PROLOGUE

Pine Ridge, South Dakota

Frankie Chasing Bear

I did not come to quilt-making easily. The urge to piece together
shapes and colors wasn’t my gift. But when I was twelve, Grandmother said soon
the quilt might be all that was left of what we once were. By the time your
children wrap quilts around themselves, she told me, the star and all it stands
for may be a dim memory, lit only by the fire of ancestors, clouded by ruddy
smoke hanging in the sky.

Grandmother’s face was crisscrossed with fine lines showing off
sharp cheekbones, a strong square jaw, hard work. A silvery gray braid,
straight as the truth, hung down her back.

I tried to make my stitches as small and even as hers, but
my childish hands proved slow and awkward. She said I only needed practice and showed
me again: up, pulled through, and down.

Just before she died, Grandmother and I sat together one last
time. She stopped to smooth a small wrinkle in the quilt top. “Lakota were
favored among tribes,” she said. “Our people stood at the top of the hills. The
buffalo and the deer bowed to our warriors, and we lived together in peace.

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 1st. Winner will be announced at the "Spring Fling" Facebook Party on April 1st. RSVP today and connect with the authors from the Quilts of Love series, Barbara Cameron, Linda S. Clare, and Joyce Magnin, for an evening of book chat, quilt trivia, prizes, and an exclusive look at the next Quilts of Love book!

So grab your copies of Scraps of Evidence, A Sky Without Stars, and Maybelle in Stitches and join Barbara, Linda, and Joyce on the evening of April 1st for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on April 1st!

Thank you, Linda, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book on this blog. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

21 comments:

Thank you Lena for featuring Linda.Her life story is very interesting and I admire how she handles physical challenges.The title of this book is interesting and the description looks great.Thank you from Ohiomcnuttjem0(at)gmail(dot)com

Jackie, Linda (another Linda!),Thanks for commenting and for requesting my book. I am truly blessed (and Linda, I type pretty darn fast for only using one hand!) Be blessed and Happy Reading! Linda Clare

A Sky Without Stars sounds like a very interesting book that I would enjoy reading. Love being introduced to new authors and enjoyed meeting Linda! Would love to win, thanks for the opportunity. Lindadmcfarl101(at)juno(dot)com

I think love of any kind can bridge the gap between cultures. A quilt is made with so much love: I'm hoping that is the case with this story. *hugs and love* from Northern Utahbunnysmip (AT) gmail (DOT) com